Shopping For A Nintendods For Your Child? Here Is How To Save Money

December 7, 2009|Posted by Daniel Vasquez on December 7, 2009 01:15 PM

If you're child is just old enough to start playing (and learning) with the Nintendo- DS - one of the most popular child tech gadgets this year - you are in for a costly experience.

The gaming system is small but may be a big item on your holiday budget. On sale, the NintendoDSi (designed for optimum use on the Internet) is about $170 - and that price doesn't include games you may want to add. New games can cost $30 and up.

But there is a cheaper way. Consider the Nintendo DS Lite at about $130 on sale. The key differences may matter to an older child with advanced gaming skills, but not to a new-comer. The DSi has a slightly larger screen (3.25-inch vs. 3-inch) than the Lite version and is approximately four times faster when it comes to the processor. The faster capability of the DSi will come into play with new games that haven't been released yet.

So, save about $40 on the cheaper version for the younger child and you'll have enough left over to buy a few games. Save even more shopping for a refurbished Nintendo DS Lite (about $80) or used.

Want to save more? Go with used games. If in good condition, they work like new and your child may enjoy having a collection of games more than opening the package of one new one.